North Shore's 'Les Mis' a masterful masterpiece

Tuesday

Oct 30, 2007 at 12:01 AMOct 30, 2007 at 3:38 PM

Considered by many to be the greatest musical of our generation, “Les Misérables ” by Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schonberg and Herbert Kretzmer is currently wowing audiences at the North Shore Music Theatre.

Sally Applegate

Considered by many to be the greatest musical of our generation, “Les Misérables ” by Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schonberg and Herbert Kretzmer is currently wowing audiences at the North Shore Music Theatre. Masterfully cast, choreographed and directed by Barry Ivan, the production offers a cornucopia of brilliant singers doing justice to Schonberg’s memorable, soaring epic melodies.

Based on the classic Victor Hugo novel, “Les Mis” episodically chronicles the struggles of convict Jean Valjean to rebuild his life after serving 19 years on a chain gang for stealing a loaf of bread to save a starving infant.

A tapestry of misery and triumph, woven together with a hauntingly beautiful score, the show benefits from the towering presence of Fred Inkley, who played Jean Valjean on the Broadway tour and on Broadway during the 1990s.

Inkley combines massive physical stature and heartfelt acting with a soaring tenor voice of enormous range and power. The role takes Valjean through rage to tenderness and ultimate redemption. Inkley is convincing, and his vocals are seemingly effortless, whether raging at injustice or tenderly comforting a dying woman, and later her forlorn child.

Playing Valjean’s nemesis Inspector Javert, Devin Richards brings a deep baritone to contrast with Inkley’s soaring tenor. The two voices work marvelously against each other during the dramatic confrontation following the death of Fantine, when Javert attempts to take Valjean back into custody. Richards wins over the audience with two impressive solos during the evening.

Playing the doomed Fantine, Jacquelyn Piro Donovan also covers the range from rage to tenderness. Her rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” is heartbreaking if not always lovely, as she harshly rails against the hand fate has dealt her. She is exquisite in her tender death scene as she gently calls to her young daughter Cosette.

“Castle on a Cloud,” one of the loveliest songs in the score, goes to Joanna Rosen as young Cosette, Fantine’s little daughter. Done with simplicity and grace, her little song cuts right to the heart. Rosen also adeptly handles the vocal complexities of a brief, delicate and magical moment with Valjean as he takes her away to safety in his care.

Playing Eponine, another tragic figure in the show, Joanne Javien is touching and convincing. Her voice is lovely in the show’s breakout hit song “On My Own,” and truly heartbreaking in her death scene with Marius as the two gently interact during “A Little Fall of Rain.” It brings closure to Eponine’s unrequited love for the handsome student.

As Marius, Charles Hagerty brings earnest charm, masculine grace and a marvelous voice that ranges easily from a rich baritone into a pleasing tenor.

As Enjolras, Charles Brady brings his fine ringing tenor to “Do You Hear the People Sing?”

Eleven-year-old Sebastian Hoffman turns in a delightful performance as Gavroche. Hoffman plays the Paris street urchin with confidence and panache, and his singing is powerful and perfectly accented. It would be fun to see him play The Artful Dodger in a production of “Oliver.”

Renee Brna brings a fine soprano to the demanding role of the adult Cosette, who soars into the vocal stratosphere to provide the high exclamation points to Schonberg’s harmonies in several numbers.

The only comedic relief in the show is provided by the rascally Thernardiers in the rollicking “Master of the House.” Ron Wisniski is devious and devilish as the corrupt Thernardier and Inga Ballard is simply smashing as Madame Thenardier. They are particularly effective nasally droning hollow parallel fifths as they reluctantly part with “our treasure” young Cosette.

Director/choreographer Ivan keeps this epic rolling with delightful choreography and taut dramatic timing, but is not afraid to add shock value to a few scenes with moments of stunned silence. North Shore fully deserves to be one of the handful of professional regional theaters in the U.S. permitted to produce this musical theater classic.

Thanks to innovative costume and wig designs from Robert Fletcher, Susan E. Picinich and Gerard Kelly, there are deliciously eccentric frowsy wigs, corsets and feathers for the harlots in “Lovely Ladies.”

The unforgettable score is performed by unforgettable voices. Adding to the audience’s tendency to remember the exquisite melodies is the fact that this is a unified score. If you can split focus during this memorable production, note how often the same melodies are repeated in other settings as background music — perhaps a sweeping waltz?

Bring plenty of handkerchiefs; this one is a real weeper.

Interested?

“Les Misérables” continues through Nov. 18 with evening performances at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, and 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Matinees are Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m.

Tickets are priced from $40 to $75 with senior and youth discounts and rush tickets available. Tickets can be purchased online at www.nsmt.org, by calling 978-232-7200, or in person at the box office at 62 Dunham Rd., Beverly, Mass.

Meet the Theatre, a post show audience discussion with the artists, will take place on Nov. 10 after the 2 p.m. matinee. Spotlight on history, a free pre-show discussion focusing on historical issues related to the performance will be on Nov. 4, and the Out at the North Shore evening for the Gay and lesbian community with a post-show reception is on Nov. 8.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.